Sports / Entertainment

Consumer Stories

Dune 2: A colossal achievement and big $ for local theaters and beyond

The biggest franchise of the post-Superhero era in movies saw its second installment at the beginning of the month. Delayed by several months due to the industry strikes, the film’s opening was moved from Autumn 2023 to Spring 2024, a move that was done either out of generosity to last year’s Oscar contenders, calculation for a full press rollout, or foresight for owning the year. Nevertheless, Dune: Part Two is finally in theaters. The world of Arrakis is reopened for the viewers, continuing the tale of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet)

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B2B Stories

Off to the races with a major economic impact

While it doesn’t involve world-class golf, there is another time-honored tradition in the CSRA and this one is all about horses. The 57th running of the Aiken Spring Steeplechase is Saturday, March 23, and it’s a big deal. According to the Aiken Steeplechase Association, more than 25,000 visitors will attend this weekend’s event. The 43 horses entered came from up and down the Eastern seaboard. That means, horse owners, jockeys, and supporters are probably already here. While ABD couldn’t confirm a bottom-line figure for economic impact, Eric Gordon, the city

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Consumer Stories

Oscars Recap: Nuanced Highs and the Big Disappointment

This year’s Oscar ceremony was the shortest in years – a rapid-fire cavalcade that barely had time to breathe. Despite this, it produced some real surprises, good and bad. Oppenheimer, unsurprisingly, won the top awards of the night, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director. The film provided the path for actors, Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey, Jr., as well as director, Christopher Nolan, to finally win their Oscars. It was one of a handful of “finally” moments. Nolan made a particularly inspired speech, emphasizing how

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Consumer Stories

The Oscar Will Go To…

Editor’s note: Watching movies has been part of our family as much as gathering around the dinner table. By the time our son was in second grade, he was a fan of great motion pictures, including Gone with the Wind, Singing in the Rain, Funny Face, African Queen, and any movie with Hepburn and Tracy. Aren’t we lucky that ABD has Dylan James who also appreciates the classics and keeps us up on future classics including the local movie productions? We hope you entered our Oscar competition for a chance

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B2B Stories

Big bucks bouncing into the CSRA

More than 500 visitors are expected to generate an economic impact of nearly a quarter of a million dollars for three days of basketball competition that starts today at Riverview Park in North Augusta. Eight high school basketball teams will face off in the Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) Scholastic League, created by a partnership with the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC). Teams from Canada and across the U.S. including, New York, Arizona, and Kansas will face off beginning tonight at 6:00 pm and continuing through Saturday, March 9.

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Consumer Stories

JBA construction closer to reality

The intergovernmental agreement between the Augusta Commission and the Augusta-Richmond Coliseum Authority has been signed. Authority Chairman, Cedric Johnson confirmed for ABD he signed the document. It creates the pipeline to receive funds from the half-penny sales tax approved by voters in November 2023. “Approval by the Commission opens the doorway for us to get those funds,” he said. “Without that agreement, any SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) goes straight to the city. So, we do have an agreement on how we would handle the funds.” One of

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Consumer Stories

Tourism icon to help military folks in the CSRA

An annual event scheduled at Augusta Regional Airport is drawing increased attention to the airport. The third annual “Run the Runway” has been set for March 16. It gives individuals the unique opportunity to run a 5k race on one of the runways at the airport. “The course takes you through Lock and Dam Park and then, it will turn and get you on our property. You’ll run up our runway and down and end on our taxiway,” Lauren Smith, Assistant Director of Marketing & Public Relations at the airport

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Consumer Stories

Confessions of an Oscar Addict

I have been watching the Academy Awards since I was nine years old – my first memory of the show being Heath Ledger’s family, flown in from Australia, accepting the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for The Dark Knight on behalf of the late star. Two years later, at age eleven, The King’s Speech had impressed me enough with its storytelling that I swore on everything, except my own deceased relatives that it would suffice for the big prizes on Oscar night. It turned out that I was correct, and

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B2B Stories

Another hurdle cleared and one step closer to JBA reality

The second step required to collect funds for the new James Brown Arena construction has been completed. Augusta Commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Augusta Richmond County Coliseum Authority. The agreement sets in motion the financial process of collecting and dispersing the money from the half-penny Construction Special Project, Local Option Sales Tax (C-SPLOST). It also clears the way to begin collecting money through the $250 million bond issue approved by voters last November. The process began in late January when members of the Authority approved the intergovernmental

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Consumer Stories

Skies over Augusta will again be filled by an Air Show

The air show at Augusta Regional Airport can now officially be called an annual event. The second annual Air Show Augusta will be held on May 25 and 26, and the first of the performers has been announced. The U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor Demo Team will be the centerpiece for this year’s show. “They’re one of the more, shall we say, loud and boisterous jet demo teams that are out there,” Chris Dirato, Director of Public Relations for the event, told ABD, adding that is the first of many

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